VLAT in the sky this afternoon

Canberrans and those in surrounding NSW will see the Very Large Air Tanker (VLAT) known as ‘Bomber 912’ in the sky this afternoon between 12:30-1:30pm, weather dependant.

The VLAT may be seen flying at low level, approximately 500 feet above the ground whilst it undertakes a series of routine systems checks, including a water drop in Kowen Forrest. These planned system checks ensure the aircraft and its capabilities remain ready to respond to incidents.

The VLAT will have a white lead plane in front of it, a Citation Jet, known as ‘BirdDog 123’. 

Since arriving in the ACT and becoming operational on the 24th of January, the VLAT has flown 29 missions delivering over 1 million litres of retardant to fires in ACT and NSW.